


only you matter

by tzaya



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Bets & Wagers, M/M, Mutual Pining, Peer Pressure, Young Rhett and Link, rhett was dumb but he got out of it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-06
Updated: 2019-11-06
Packaged: 2021-01-24 11:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21337615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tzaya/pseuds/tzaya
Summary: rhett received a bet, accompanied with peer pressure.
Relationships: Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Comments: 1
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

The sun shone on him, giving the sweat on his forehead a glistening look. Rhett brought his forearm up to wipe the fluid off and glanced at the boy sitting at the bleachers—His best friend since childhood, to be exact. The boy was wearing a loose shirt, shorts and glasses that he doesn’t actually need. He could see perfectly without it. The glasses just made him look nerdy, and might mess up with his sight when he gets older, in Rhett’s opinion. “They help me to concentrate better,” Link once told him. He gave Link a wave when they met gaze, earning a shy smile from the other. Link was so consistent in watching him not only during the games, but also practice.

“Hey, Rhett.” Rhett turned his attention to Paul upon hearing his name, the basketball in his hand still pressed against his right rib. “Wanna join in the bet?” Paul said, stepping closer to him.

“Sure. Hit me.” He gave his friend a light shrug. Soon enough, more of the basketball crew crowded around them.

“I bet 5 bucks that you can get that nerdy friend of yours to sleep with you… in two weeks. Take a picture as proof.” Paul gestured towards where Link was sitting. Rhett’s brows knit. He wasn’t expecting this.

“6 bucks… in a week.” Matt chirped in.

“The hell, guys? What kind of a bet is this?”

“Come on. It’s just to spice things up. We all know you can get any lady you want, so that’s not fun.” Rhett groaned and ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, his eyes falling on the looks of anticipation on his friends’ faces. “Fuck. Fine. Give me three days, then you guys pay me 10 bucks each.”

“Dude, 10 bucks is a lot.”

“It’s fine, I don’t think he can do it in just three days. Deal then, Rhett?” added another boy. A shiver ran down Rhett’s spine. He can’t back out now. This reputation he has, he needs to keep it. Keep his image up. Rhett gave them a nod and high fived the crew.

In the corner of his eye, he caught Link staring at him with his bag clutched to his chest.


	2. Chapter 2

“Day one,” Rhett whispered to himself as he walked towards Link. He placed his palm on the locker next to Link’s head and leaned in a bit, a vibe of intimidation radiating off him. Link looked up at him with his blue orbs. Beautiful, he thought. It attracted him enough to work as a distraction from the way his crew was looking at him, near their own lockers.“Uh, Link, do you want to walk home together today?” He grinned.

“You don’t have any meeting?” Link questioned, to which he quickly replied with a no. “Okay then. Let me just grab my stuff.” Link smiled and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Rhett let out a sigh of relief. It has been hard for him to get to Link, with them having different classes and not being able to locate Link’s whereabouts during recess. His chance was getting pretty thin, and he started to consider negotiating with his crew about the price of bets. “Ready to go.” He heard Link from his side.

“Yeah, come on.” He nodded and walked with Link whilst making small conversation. Rhett tried his best to ignore his friends when they passed by them, directing his whole being to focus only on the boy next to him, babbling about a new flavor of ice cream.

“So like, now they have this cookie dough ice cream. I wonder if it’s just cookie dough that they just tossed into the freezer, because I can do that too.” Rhett stared at his best friend once they were off the school grounds. Link had pulled his glasses off and tucked them into his bag.

“Maybe they added some preservatives?” He couldn’t deny that Link looks better this way. “I do want to try it out, though. Since I’ve been hearing that it’s good.” His features were more noticeable since the attention wasn’t put solely on those big glasses. “…But do you think it could give me salmonella? Rhett?” He shook his head and a laugh fell of his lips.

“Sorry—I zoned out a bit. Why don’t we test it out?”

“You’re right.” Link beamed and soon enough, he found himself being dragged towards the ice cream parlor. I wonder if I should be saving up to pay for my loss… Rhett thought to himself. The bell on the door chimed as they stepped in. Link wasted no time ordering.

“Hello. Two scoops of cookie dough ice cream in a bowl! We’ll eat here, please.”

“Hey- two?”

“If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me. It was your idea after all.”

Rhett laughed at Link’s antics. They quarreled a bit on who should pay but later on settled with Rhett treating Link as an early birthday present. It’d be Link’s birthday in a few days. Just the thought of it makes Rhett want to throw up. Toying with his best friend before that day is just too cruel—But Rhett knew he couldn’t lose his friends’ trust. He needed to be on good terms with them in order to play in the team, as well as looking good in everyone’s eyes. His teammates and his coach.

The two took a seat at the booth far in the back. Link in a corner next to him. “Rhett, try it! This is good. You know I love cookie dough.” Link exclaimed and gobbled up the ice cream, clearly enjoying the taste. Rhett wasn’t all that interested, so he just stared. It was Link who was more obsessed with ice cream anyway.

“You got something there.” Rhett mumbled, reaching his hand out for what Link thought to brush away the trace of ice cream on his face. Instead, Rhett took a hold of Link’s chin and closed his lips around Link’s bottom one, his tongue licking off the ice cream at the spot underneath it. Once it was all cleaned up, Rhett dug the set of his teeth into Link’s lower lip. He tugged at it slightly and basked in the moan Link was letting out in response. Before parting, he didn’t forget to give the boy a peck on the lips. He could feel Link’s curious, surprised gaze boring into him, but he spared no glance towards Link. Rhett started to eat his melting ice cream. And Link was left with his flushed cheeks as he clanked the spoon around the glass bowl.

Success.

The rest of the day went on fast, and soon enough it was Saturday. Having already done their homework, he decided to bring Link to their usual spot near the cow pasture. Rhett grinned when he saw Link picking at the grass out of boredom.

“Having fun there?” He called out and the corner of Link’s lips twitched.

“Look who’s early.” Link replied with a hint of sarcasm, his features painted with a grin similar to Rhett’s.

“Sorry, Cole made me help him with something.”

“Alright. That’s cool with me.” Link got back to his feet and walked with Rhett towards the boulders. He sat on the big one and Rhett on the smaller rock. It was a system they’d worked out not long ago. Whoever’s sitting on the big rock will have the privilege to talk and lead the conversation, while the one on the smaller rock can ask questions. Link took a moment to stare at the river before them.

“What’s the story today?”

“Amber likes me.” He started. Rhett felt his heart drop. It’s just because he’s ahead of you with the new girl.

“Oh yeah? What happened?”

“Well, she told me someone likes me. I ended up guessing every single girl in the class and she kept saying no until I said her name.” Rhett remained silent this time so Link just continued, fiddling with his fingers. “I mean, she’s a really fine girl—but I said no.”

“Why?”

“Remember what happened with Leslie? I couldn’t even communicate with her well. I’m scared it’ll happen again, though she seems talkative. I think I need some time or something. I don’t know. Just doesn’t feel right.”

“How did it go?’

“She was embarrassed. I felt bad but then Paul… I… I guess he was listening. He started saying that maybe I’m gay, and since I’m only close with you, it just made his statement more solid. Said that maybe I have a crush on you.”

Rhett looked at Link. “Why don’t you get close with other people?” He got up and climbed up on the big rock to join Link, lying down vertically with his feet on the smaller boulder and his head in Link’s lap. Link didn’t comment anything about Rhett’s odd behavior.

“Because only you matter.”

Silence washed over them. For that brief moment, the only sound they could hear was the cows mooing. It looked like the owner’s taking them out again.

Rhett paused, then he cupped Link’s cheeks in his hands. He gently pulled the boy’s head down while he leaned up to have their lips meet. Why isn’t he resisting at all? Link shut his eyes and soon Rhett followed. They kept still for what it felt so long, since neither cared to hold their breath. He felt Link’s palm against his hair, fingertips touching the cartilage of his ear.

Even though the kiss only consisted of touching lips, it felt like the best one he ever had. And to think he’d kissed many girls, in so many ways, yet this one that he’s having with another male—it felt like the best time of his life. He almost felt as if he didn’t want to pull away.

But Link did. He licked his lips at the loss. It took their eyes seven seconds to adjust to the light. And when they did, they just gazed at each other.

“That felt right.”

Rhett went home and practiced playing basketball that night. At least his father was happy to see him brushing up his skills. Though what he was doing was to try and exhaust himself. He wanted to fall asleep without hours of thinking. Thinking about the stupid decisions he’s been taking. About the stupid bet that’s changing everything. About Link… Link’s toothy grin. His blue eyes, and his soft lips, and—

Rhett jumped to shoot the ball, but he found himself falling back to his feet with the ball still in his hand.


	3. Chapter 3

_“You’re one of us now, Rhett. So you gotta play by our rules here.” A male voice said._

_“Yeah man, but I doubt you’d do somethin’ uncool though.” Another butted in._

_The view came clear and he found himself at the back of the school building. A lit blunt made of some tobacco leaves between his two fingers. He took a drag from it and coughed._

_“Tastes kinda odd.” He said, half laughing._

_“Haha, yeah. First timer. It’ll be good once you get used to it. Kid, you want some?” He saw Matt hold out a blunt he just rolled up to Link. He looked so uncomfortable._

_“No.” He shot a glance at Rhett and Rhett could see the discomfort in his eyes. He was here merely because of Rhett._

_“Geez Rhett, why are you even friends with this party pooper?” Matt said, exhaling smoke out through his mouth. “You’re not dating him, are you?”_

_“No, we’ve been friends for a long while.”_

_“That sounds—Hey Chad, how did it go?” Two guys who he recognized from the basketball team came in sight, plopping down next to Matt._

_“Fucking good. He was tight.” Matt grabbed the guy’s phone and looked at the picture. Just from the corner of his eye, Rhett knew it was an explicit one._

_“What about you, Sam?”_

_“I don’t wanna do it. Why do we even do this?” The other one wearing a blue shirt, Sam, spoke, his voice hesitant._

_“Well, girls here are getting loose. So we can go to the twinks, man. Just for the sex. No gay bullshit.”_

_“All the girls are so scared of anal. Hah. Haven’t met one that lets me fuck their ass.” Matt took another drag and chuckled. “So, are you gonna do it or what?”_

_“No.” Sam replied._

_“We don’t need a fucking coward in our team.”_

_Rhett sat there in silence. His cig long put off while the boys chatted amongst them. Matt had punched Sam in the eye and Link’s slender fingers gripped at the hem of Rhett’s shirt._

_He was so glad they couldn’t see that._

_But his fear took up a notch when he turned his head to look at the situation. He saw Sam’s facial features turning into his. He was the one with the black eye. Kicked in the shin. Getting called a coward._

_The scene kept on changing and it was making him dizzy._

_He saw the coach kicking him out of the team, and one of the boys threw the ball at his head._

_He saw his father’s disappointed look._

_He saw notes with cuss words written on them filling up his locker._

_He saw Matt’s fist flying towards his face—_

** _Bang._ **

Rhett woke up to a loud noise, his pjs drenched in sweat and tears in his eyes. He rubbed his face, hoping to clear his head from the nightmare he just had. Taking a quick glance at the clock, he sighed. It was already afternoon, and it looked like Cole in the next room was hammering the frame he wanted to put on his wall. He swung his legs to dangle off the bed, sitting up.

Then it dawned on him.

_It’s the third day._

He gulped and stood up, walking downstairs and ignoring the loud noises from Cole. He grabbed the phone, his fingers dialing Link’s numbers on instinct. After a few rings, that familiar voice spoke to him.

“Rhett?”

“Do you want to… sleep over at my house?” He could hear his own hoarse voice whispering out.

“We have school tomorrow. Is everything okay? You sound panicky.”

“Just… Can you?”

“Of course, Rhett. I’ll go and pack up my clothes and things for school tomorrow.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon.” Rhett ended the call with a huge sigh of relief. Somehow, Link’s soft voice had managed to calm his erratic heartbeat down.

He leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. I can do this. He nodded to himself, feet starting to make his way to the kitchen. He didn’t have much appetite, dreading of what’s going to happen later that night. Eating his favourite cereal had never seemed so hard before. He actually had to force himself to eat for the energy.

After filling his stomach up, he went back upstairs to take a shower, d eciding that it’d make him feel better, and he didn’t want to smell bad when Link comes. He washed his whole body with soap and even shampooed his hair. When he finished, he dried himself and settled for a black shirt and shorts. “Momma Di!” Link’s voice echoed through the house, followed by one that belongs to his mother.

“Hello, sweetie!”

“I came for a sleepover— ” Rhett made his way down the stairs, Link’s voice becoming clearer with each step. “Rhett didn’t say anything? Well, can I stay?” Once his feettouched the ground, he felt eyes on him. He cleared his throat.

“I called him to stay over, since you’re all going to be out late tonight. Sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Link’s no stranger in this house.” He smiled at his mother’s reply.

“Link, you coming?” Rhett turned to the living room, Link following suit.

“Yeah. What are we doing?”

“Let’s just play some games for now. Then maybe we can watch TV or something.”

“Okay.” Link took the strap of his bag off his shoulder and settled down by Rhett’s side. They picked up the controllers to start the game. Whenever their shoulders brushed against each other, he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling rush inside of him. “So you just called me over to accompany you? Is my Rhett scared of staying home alone?” Link cooed at him. Rhett tried not to pay attention at Link’s choice of words. “Nah. At least I won’t be bored with you here.” Link rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face indicated that he wasn’t annoyed. Sitting there with Link, controllers in their hands, Rhett realized how different the real Link is from how people at school perceived him. To think that he’s the one to be able to see this side of Link, he felt special. “I win!” Link threw his arms up in the air triumphantly, snapping Rhett out of his trance.

“Dang it.” Rhett mumbled. He looked at the screen, confetti’s falling on Link’s blue car that’s parked way ahead of his own red one. ‘Player 1: Winner’ was written in large bolded font. “I was just distracted. We’ll have another round.” Rhett frowned and selected another match. They went on for several more matches until Rhett managed to beat Link in the end.

“You won this round. But I won more than you. Today must be my day.” Link grinned.

It took all his will to not go against his best friend’s words to say _no, Link, your life is going to crumble apart before you and it’ll be my fault._

“Rhett,” called a man’s voice. Rhett lifted his chin up, eyes meeting with his father’s. He glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was already three. Time for his daily practice. He quickly got up and went to get his basketball.

“Link, I forgot I gotta practice. We’ll watch that movie after I finish, is that okay?”

“Sure. I’ll watch you. How long is it?”

“Two hours.” He waited for Link to get up before putting his training shoes on that his father had made for him. They’re not that comfortable, but they help him practice jumping higher when he shoots. “You can do something else if you get bored.” Though even after saying that, he could still sense Link’s presence walking behind him. Link didn’t reply, but just followed Rhett to the end of the road where he usually practices at.

Link took a seat at the curb and watched Rhett warm up. It wasn’t as if it was the first time he’d done that, but his gaze made Rhett feel more conscious of his actions. He made an attempt to ignore that as he dribbled the ball around and shot hoops that came off more aggressive than his normal ones.

“Rhett, are you going to be a basketball player?” Link’s question came out of nowhere. The tone of his voice was soft. It was such a simple question but Rhett didn’t know anymore. He knew it was something he wanted to do. He liked playing basketball. He was pretty good at it. He’d gone through a lot of training that took up so much of his time and effort. Yet he felt like the answer ‘yes’ was out of his grasp.

“I don’t know, Link.”

He continued to shoot and Link left the topic, and instead made random jokes and talked about anything that might interest Rhett.

Strangely, two hours didn’t feel so long.


	4. Chapter 4

“I cooked a simple dish for you two. We’ll stay back a bit after your cousin’s wedding so we’ll be home late. Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

“Yeah, mom. I’ll stay home with Link.” He hugged his mother, receiving a kiss on the cheek from the lady.

“Thanks, momma Di.” Rhett watched as Link went to give her a hug as well. Soon they sent his parents and Cole off and locked the front door. He let Link have the bathroom first while he stayed at the living room to change the TV channel. It was the weekend, so plenty of movies were on air. He settled on one and got up to take a bath himself after Link came back down, wearing his pjs with his hair still damp.

“I already filled the tub for you.” Link mumbled as he walked past Rhett. Rhett noticed that Link’s face was red. “Thanks, man. What’re you blushing for?” Rhett was quick to point it out. He arched a brow, leaning against the staircase. “Nothing. I’ll tell you later. Maybe.” Link looked at him and they held the eye contact for awhile before Rhett just proceeded to make his way upstairs.

He grabbed his towel and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. His eyes caught sight of the full bathtub, just as Link had told him. _What else did he do?_ Rhett thought, recalling Link’s flushed cheeks. He set the towel aside and stripped off his clothings. The water felt nice on his sweaty skin once he took a dip in it, finally able to relax his sore muscles. “What am I going to do…?” Rhett rested his head on the edge of the tub. Now that he was by himself, it was harder for him to not think about the bet. He needed to make the decision today. He wish he could turn back the time and give himself a longer deadline than just three days.

_Or just flat out deny the offer._ He thought.

_Fuck, no– I don’t want to be casted away. I don’t want to be alone._ Rhett sighed in exasperation, submerging into the water. The thought of being alone scared him. He didn’t want to be a loner.

_Will everyone hate me?_

Rhett shut his eyes, knowing well that his basketball team is very popular amongst the students. They’d be able to influence the other kids to turn against anyone. The only reason Rhett put up with them was the fact that he wanted to play basketball. He merely tried to fit in, to not anger the boys. _But now it’s gone too far._

“Rhett!” He heard Link shout from the living room. Rhett sat back up properly, his pupils wide as he gasped for breath. He was too lost in the darkness to notice he was practically killing himself. He brought his hand up and observed it. Wrinkles were starting to form from the water. It occurred to him that he was in the bath longer than he thought. “Y-yeah, coming!” He shouted back to Link, washing himself in haste.

When he went back to the living room fully dressed, he saw that Link had prepared two spoons and put the bowl of pumpkin porridge in front of him.

“Come on, before I drool all over this because I’m really hungry.” Link took a spoon once Rhett sat down by him. “You missed a bit of the movie.” He gave Link a weak smile and started eating. It was an action movie where the police tried to catch the mastermind behind a series of related murders. “Do you think they can catch him?” Link asked. “Probably, but not so soon.” Rhett replied and shoved another spoonful of the porridge into his mouth. It was pleasantly sweet on his taste buds, even though it was no longer warm. They finished the meal quickly, especially Rhett since he was a fast eater.

They didn’t bother to put the dirty dishes away and just sat there, eyes glued to the screen. The scene showed the mastermind punching one of the people who was working for him. Rhett’s stomach churned at the image. He was just recovering from the incident in the bathroom and now the memories of his nightmare were flooding his mind, making him feel lightheaded. He felt like he could throw up what he just ate at any moment.

“Ow, that’s got to hurt.” Link commented, still absorbed in the movie. Rhett shifted his gaze to his lap, he could no longer watch—But Link was making it hard, because Rhett couldn’t shut Link out no matter how much he tried. If he was to cover his ears, the boy would surely notice. And to think that for some reason, he actually wanted Link to talk more. Even if the boy was the source of his problem, he was also the one who keep him sane these past few days.

He looked over at Link and anxiety built up inside of him. Rhett felt like he was going burst with all of these images and worries inside his head. Trying to shrug them off was out of the question. His feelings were demanding to be felt. Fear was engulfing him in and he had no control over himself. Rhett was just _really, really scared_. He knew he had to do it. No matter what.

He snatched Link’s wrist and dragged him to his room, ignoring the other’s questions and complaints. He was surprised he was still conscious at all. Rhett closed the door behind them and pushed Link onto the bed, capturing Link’s lips with his own. Link didn’t push him away, and even kissed him back. It was the first time Link had returned the favor. Rhett nudged his knee between Link’s legs, and Link didn’t say a word of protest. Instead, he let out delicious sounding moans that made Rhett burn with desire. He suddenly grew much more confident. It was easy for him to shed off all their clothes, letting their bare skin touch—and running his fingertips all over Link. He took the lotion he had put on the nightstand and prepared Link the way he’d prepare a girl. There was a nagging thought at the back of his mind, telling him that even though Link wasn’t a girl, this was different. This wasn’t just a normal one night stand. It wasn’t helping that the sight before his eyes was purely beautiful. Link’s bare body laid there just for him. The moles and other beauty marks he had on his body just for Rhett to see. His hands shook when he flipped Link to lie on his abdomen.

He guided himself into the boy carefully, groaning at the tight heat enveloping him. He made careful movements until Link’s moans started to increase. The pleasure was unbelievable. Rhett managed to get himself lost in ecstasy - at least that was what he thought. Eventually, fate just had to be cruel. _Tomorrow, you’ll lose a precious friend. _His brain just had to remind him of the bet. _You’re ruining his life._ Every time the thought came up, he thrusted a little harder, a little deeper — trying to get rid of them. He wanted to slip into oblivion and not care about a single thing.

“Rhett, I want to see you.” Link whispered. He couldn’t come up with a reason as to why he wouldn’t give that to Link, or at least, a reasonable one where doesn’t need to talk about this torturing mess. So he let Link lie on his back, Rhett entering him once again. He kept his head held high, looking at the ceiling, just anywhere but on his best friend, whose hands were wandering on Rhett’s body… those big hands that belonged to a male.

“Fuck.” Rhett bit his lips, grunting as his climax was near. Link’s hand that was pressed against his chest made its way to Rhett’s cheek, and he half regretted looking at Link. Damp bangs sticking to his forehead, only half of his blue eyes were visible and his parted lips released puffs of warm breath. He was looking at Rhett with such loving gaze, and that was all that it took for Rhett to break down. Before he knew it, tears were falling from his eyes.

“W- why do you trust me so much? Why does it have to be me, Link? Why me?” He cried out, shuddering in Link’s arms that were now holding him.

“Because only you matter.”

And Rhett cried even more.

He let the sobs rack his body, with Link peppering sweet kisses all over his face.

He knew that he had been blind all this time. He’d never been alone, even without his team, or the fangirls flocking around him every morning because Link had been there all along, and he’s never going to leave Rhett’s side.

He knew that he couldn’t break Link’s heart, because then his heart would be broken too.

And he knew that since that night, the only person who mattered to him was Link.

_His one and only Link._


	5. Chapter 5

The sounds of the alarm clock rang throughout his room. Rhett opened his eyes to see Link nuzzled up against his shoulder, mouth hanging open and eyes shut. He turned the alarm off and pulled his newfound lover closer, kissing the crown of his head. “I’ll be better for you.” He whispered, even though Link was deep in sleep. Rhett slipped away from Link’s embrace and disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up. He chose to wear a black hoodie and jeans to school. As soon as he emerged from the bathroom, Link woke up. He only spared the boy a glance before going downstairs to meet his father.

“Good morning, dad. Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Mr. McLaughlin put his newspaper down and looked at Rhett.

“Of course. What is it?”

“I know that you want one of your sons to be an athlete but… I think… I’m going to quit playing basketball.” He began, afraid of disappointing his father. But he was determined to move forward. “I wanna take up engineering in college. I’m sorry…” Rhett said nervously and stood next to Mr. McLaughlin, staring at the kitchen table. He saw the man’s hand move, but didn’t say anything. Rhett remained still until he felt a gentle pat on his back.

“It’s okay. You do what makes you happy. I won’t tell you how to lead your life.” He knew his father wouldn’t be mad at him, but he felt so relieved and touched that he ended up giving the older man a quick hug. These past few days had made him become more emotional.

“Thanks, dad.”

“Go get your friend and come have breakfast. You need to go to school.”

Rhett gave him a nod and ran up to his room to get Link, who just finished getting dressed. He was wearing a navy blue sweater with plaid shirt underneath it, and a pair of jeans similar to Rhett’s, just lighter in colour.

“Let’s go eat.”

He took their school bags and Link’s hand in his.

Breakfast was alright but he could see Link having trouble sitting properly. His cheeks were dusted with a light shade of red and his words were all over the place. Rhett was just glad that none of them spilled any hints about what happened last night to his parents. Instead, they just talked about Rhett’s plan on taking up engineering for college.

“I’ll do that too.” Link had said, and it made Rhett’s heart skip a beat.

“We’re off to school.”

“Have a good day, you two!”

Rhett and Link bid Mr. and Mrs. McLaughlin goodbye and they set off to school, walking side by side. The walk was filled with silence, but a comfortable one. Sometimes, their fingers would intertwine, bringing smiles to their faces. Link had wanted to put his glasses on but Rhett told him that he looked better without them.

“This still feels right.”

“Yeah, it does.” Rhett agreed.

Rhett knew what was waiting for him at school. When he stepped into the building, he made sure to keep Link close to him. Surely enough, just as he expected, the boys were waiting for him by the lockers. The smirks they were wearing made Rhett feel disgusted.

“Hey, you’re practically glowing that I don’t think I even need the proof. How was it, man?” Matt stepped closer to him. Rhett kept quiet, but Matt noticed Link standing behind him.

“Whoa! Is that nerdy boy? Now that you lost the glasses, you look so much better. Was Rhett good? Wanna come to me next, doll?” He reached an arm out to touch Link, but Rhett slapped his hand away before he got the chance. “Ow, shit— The fuck’s wrong with you?” Matt hissed and held his hand to his chest. His loud voice had brought people’s attention on them. It wasn’t long until they were surrounded by other students.

“Don’t touch him.” Rhett muttered under his breath.

It took Matt a few seconds, and when he realized what was going on, he smirked. “Oh, I fucking knew it.” He tipped his chin up and leaned in closer. “I knew there was something with you two. You fags.”

“Shit, man, this thing can’t be in our team.” Paul pushed at Rhett’s shoulder rather harshly, making his blood boil.

“I don’t want to be in your stupid team anyway.” That statement brought a punch to his face. The beating, the shame he’d been so scared about, happening just like he dreamt. _But it’s different._ Rhett thought as he fell onto the floor from the blow. It was different because he didn’t care this time. “You all can go and fuck off. I quit.” Rhett spat onto the floor, his saliva falling near Matt’s shoes. He got up with Link’s help and walked off with his arm around Link’s shoulder, ignoring the threatening calls. He knew Link was confused, but Rhett decided that they’d get out of there before he said anything. They walked past the teacher rushing to stop the scene. In that moment, Matt’s voice called out, “Hey, nerd! Rhett made a bet to sleep with you!”

Rhett found it difficult to breathe. He braced himself to look at Link though he was worried of the expression the boy was wearing. Link had been staring at him the whole time. Their steps came to a halt and Rhett gulped before hanging his head low. He knew he was at fault.

“Is that true? What he said…” Link asked.

“Y-yeah…” Rhett replied before meeting Link’s gaze. He knew Link would get mad if he avoided the eye contact. The corners of Link’s lips curled up into a grin.

“I bet you can get me to do it again.” Rhett had never felt so grateful in his life. He silently thanked God and leaned in to place a kiss on the temple of Link’s head.

Even though there’s darkness waiting for him, waiting to break him…

He knew that as long as he had Link by his side, guiding him through it all…

_Everything will be fine._


	6. epilogue

“I think we got all of them.” Rhett heard Link say as he walked ahead, dragging a trash bag full of papers with the boy trailing behind him. In his hand was also the top of the same bag that they’d tied, their fingers brushing against each other from time to time. “That’s okay. Even if we didn’t, we could just pick them up tomorrow.” Rhett replied. “Geez… I’m surprised they haven’t stopped sending those notes to us.”

Rhett let go of the bag once they were halfway through to their destination. He stopped in the middle of the recreational soccer field where they’d played when they were younger. He then lied down on the field where the slope was. Their soccer field was at least a ten degrees slope and while he didn’t much enjoy playing soccer, or rather watch the ball roll down the hill—It was a good spot to relax. The slope added support to his back and he looked up at the sky briefly before replying to Link, “At least we can make some profit from them. Maybe later I can buy you a bottle of Clearly Canadian with the money.” Rhett smiled.

Link mirrored the smile and lied down next to him. “I wonder if they know we’re getting money from the hate they’re putting in our lockers. It’s funny. Hey, they’re going to close the gate soon, right?” Rhett let out a sigh at that.

“We’ll just stay for 10 minutes.” He replied and turned his head to face Link. Link had shifted closer to him so that their noses were touching. He looked into Link’s blue orbs, getting lost in them until Link had decided to pull him back to reality.

“That day, after the bath… You asked me why my cheeks were red.” Link said, his tone of voice soft and low. He seemed embarrassed.

“Your cheeks are red now.”

“Shut up. Anyway, I, uh… I kind of practiced kissing using the bathroom wall.” He kept his gaze on Link but Link had turned his face away, clearly shying away from Rhett.

“Wow…” Rhett’s lips parted in amusement. Link didn’t reply so he decided he’d tease his best friend. “I hope you brushed your teeth before going out.”

“Rhett!”

“I’m kidding. Wait, you did brush your teeth right..?” He made a face. Rhett made sure that the bathroom at his house was kept sanitary, but he knew it only applied to the naked eye. Germs exist everywhere, and he was pretty sure that the tiled walls in his bathroom were no exception.

Link frowned and grumbled in frustration, “Of course. It was my first kiss.”

“Sorry. So, was the practice good?” Rhett held back a laugh, but Link had caught that.

“Better than kissing you.” He could sense a hint of sarcasm in Link’s voice. And Rhett said no more, instead leaning in to kiss Link on the lips. Link exhaled a sigh of annoyance, his breath ghosting over Rhett’s cheek. He didn’t pull back, however, just as he never did.

“Is it really better?”

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i noticed that young me may have forgotten that the bedroom kiss wasn't link's first kiss, but maybe we can pass it off as link not considering the rock kiss to be a real kiss. either because he didn't know where rhett stood in their relationship, or because it was just an innocent lil kiss, who knows! 
> 
> anyway, i hope you enjoyed it and if you're leaving a comment, thank you in advance, if not, thank you too for reading! :)


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